Amador County – The Ione City Council today is expected to discuss a report that indicates the city’s wastewater treatment plant is not seeping into nearby creek, or if it is seeping, that the affects are minimal.

The council was expected to discuss a report issued Monday that analyzes a detailed Isotope Study conducted on the City of Ione Wastewater Treatment Plant, by consultants HydroFucus Inc., and Robertson-Bryan Inc.

The Isotope Study made an assessment of the movement of wastewater from the city of Ione’s wastewater treatment plant into Sutter Creek. The treatment plant is located south of Sutter Creek, in a small valley, west of the city of Ione. The study looked at the potential for seepage from the storage ponds of the sewer plant, that the Central Valley Regional Water Quality Control Board identified as seeping into the Sutter Creek.

The report gave a summary and conclusion that, at the time the samples were taken, the “isotopic composition of Sutter Creek water, wastewater treatment facility pond water, area well water, and Amador Transmission Pipeline samples are distinct and can be clearly differentiated from one another.”

The report said: “The results of this analysis indicate that there is not an isotopic difference in Sutter Creek water samples collected upstream and downstream of the wastewater treatment facility pond. The downstream creek sample showed no discernable influence from (the facility) pond water seepage in its isotopic composition.”

The difference in water samples upstream and downstream “indicated significant differences for only four of the 19 water quality parameters evaluated.” Those “showing significantly higher concentrations downstream are sodium, chloride, boron and manganese.” The report said that groundwater on the north side of the creek “is a more likely influence on Sutter Creek water quality.”

It further concluded that “the collective weight-of-evidence from isotopic, water quality and water balance assessments indicate that any wastewater treatment facility pond seepage to Sutter Creek that may occur is negligible, and is not discernably affecting the creek’s isotopic composition or water quality.”

The study was made to answer questions about seepage raised by the Central Valley Regional Water Quality Control Board, which could make its own determination of the isotope study results.

Story by Jim Reece This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Amador County – The Ione City Council today is expected to discuss a report that indicates the city’s wastewater treatment plant is not seeping into nearby creek, or if it is seeping, that the affects are minimal.

The council was expected to discuss a report issued Monday that analyzes a detailed Isotope Study conducted on the City of Ione Wastewater Treatment Plant, by consultants HydroFucus Inc., and Robertson-Bryan Inc.

The Isotope Study made an assessment of the movement of wastewater from the city of Ione’s wastewater treatment plant into Sutter Creek. The treatment plant is located south of Sutter Creek, in a small valley, west of the city of Ione. The study looked at the potential for seepage from the storage ponds of the sewer plant, that the Central Valley Regional Water Quality Control Board identified as seeping into the Sutter Creek.

The report gave a summary and conclusion that, at the time the samples were taken, the “isotopic composition of Sutter Creek water, wastewater treatment facility pond water, area well water, and Amador Transmission Pipeline samples are distinct and can be clearly differentiated from one another.”

The report said: “The results of this analysis indicate that there is not an isotopic difference in Sutter Creek water samples collected upstream and downstream of the wastewater treatment facility pond. The downstream creek sample showed no discernable influence from (the facility) pond water seepage in its isotopic composition.”

The difference in water samples upstream and downstream “indicated significant differences for only four of the 19 water quality parameters evaluated.” Those “showing significantly higher concentrations downstream are sodium, chloride, boron and manganese.” The report said that groundwater on the north side of the creek “is a more likely influence on Sutter Creek water quality.”

It further concluded that “the collective weight-of-evidence from isotopic, water quality and water balance assessments indicate that any wastewater treatment facility pond seepage to Sutter Creek that may occur is negligible, and is not discernably affecting the creek’s isotopic composition or water quality.”

The study was made to answer questions about seepage raised by the Central Valley Regional Water Quality Control Board, which could make its own determination of the isotope study results.

Story by Jim Reece This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Amador County – The Amador Water Agency board of directors on Thursday approved an extension to a water rate and financial plan study of the Amador Water System, which could lead to a rate decrease in the city of Plymouth.

The AWA board approved a $12,000 increase in the contract with The Reed Group, for the study which is about 75 percent complete. AWA Finance Manager Mike Lee in a report to the board said the “financial plan serves as a planning and management tool to ensure that the operations and capital improvement needs of the AWS can be met in a financial sound manner.” It also “ensures a fair distribution of cost services between various user classes.”

Lee said issues in the original scope of the study included considering the agency “debt service obligations in developing financial plan and water rate recommendations,” and considering tiers rates to help the agency meet conservation objectives. It also sought to “develop water rate schedules consistent with cost of service principles.”

The draft financial plan was reviewed during two workshops, then in August 2010 it was referred to the budget and finance committee. General Manager Gene Mancebo said Reed’s spread sheets are complete, but they need verbiage, and the study could take a couple of more months.

The study, when complete, could be used as the basis for rate changes in the Amador Water System, which includes systems in Jackson, Ione, and Plymouth. At least one of those changes was expected to be a decrease in rates.

AWA General Manager Gene Mancebo said it should bring down the rates in Plymouth, which joined AWS with the completion of its potable water pipeline. Mancebo said the impacts and cost share were estimated in 2007, and Plymouth is “using less water than anticipated.”

“Their shared cost should go down,” based on low usage. Plymouth Interim City Manager Jeff Gardner said “it’s going to affect Plymouth positively,” because they overestimated the amount of water the city would be using.” He said: “Essentially, we think we will get a 10-15 percent decrease.”

Gardner said it will impact the city’s debt service on the pipeline, which is about $200,000 annually.

Plymouth’s cost and benefit analysis as a whole, done on each segment of the pipeline was re-estimated, Gardner said. The debt service cost sharing was built on a benefit analysis, showing Plymouth net share of costs would be 65 percent. After the re-estimate, Plymouth’s net share of costs dropped to about 60 percent.

Story by Jim Reece This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Amador County – About 15 people attended an Upcountry Community Council fire committee meeting last week and heard a report on the new Community Conservation and Wildfire Protection Plan for the Pioneer, Buckhorn and Volcano area, drafted by the Amador Fire Safe Council.

Fire Committee Co-Chair Rich Farrington said Friday local fire volunteers, Chief Ray Blankenheim and Charlie Blankenheim were called out on an emergency, and missed some of the discussion last week, after a presentation by Jim Simmons, chief writer of the plan for the Fire Safe Council.

Farrington said Simmons, the former Cal-Fire Amador-El Dorado Unit Chief has “an incredible amount of expertise,” and the report, almost 500 pages, detailed hazards and made recommendations to make it easier to qualify for grants. The study shows where the forest is really overgrown, showing the need to “reduce those fuels” to reduce the potential for catastrophic forest fires.

Farrington said: “I think the wildfire plan is excellent,” but did not consider 20-year-old study of the hydrants, which in 1995 said the fire flow, or flow of water, was not adequate.

Farrington said he realized it could take 50 years to bring the hydrant system up to code, but he thought people would not mind paying a dollar a month toward that. He also thought County Supervisors and Upcountry water districts “would like to see that started.”

Fire brigades aren’t allowed to turn on hydrants unless there was a fire Upcountry, Farrington said, and the Amador Fire Protection Association wants the Amador Water Agency to provide a written policy of what they can do to test or repair the hydrants. He said with paid firefighters, they might be able to put in an hour a day working on the hydrants.

Simmons said an upgrade of all of the hydrants could cost more than $1 million, but services can help, including pressure testing. Hydrants then can be color coded with paint to show their flow. They can also check water storage tanks to make sure they are filled, and check to see that hydrant threads match fire department standards for connectors.

AWA General Manager Gene Mancebo said the agency was working closely with AFPA on a program to check hydrant working conditions, to identify those that need maintenance, and schedule the work accordingly. It would also confirm existing hydrants that are out there.

He said Central Amador Water Project probably had 500 hydrants in its retail system alone, and AWA probably operated and maintained a total of 1,000 hydrants throughout the county.

He said AWA will meet with AFPA and report to the AWA board and UCC, and “we may have something written up more formally as well.”

Story by Jim Reece This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.